A Charming Maine Home Crafted by Seasoned Renovators

When you see the sentimental details in Michelle and Ed’s home, the care that was taken with their space, and how personal and loved it feels, it’s hard to believe that they have only been living in it for the past two years. The couple’s timber frame Cape Cod style house could pass as being over a hundred years old, but it was constructed in 1986. In addition to creating homes together in the familial sense, Ed and Michelle have also been renovating houses as a team for 21 years — and they’ve lived in 15 of their projects.

Michelle and Ed spent most of their marriage in North Carolina, where they raised their daughters, and the last few years were spent between North Carolina and Maine. The couple created a lavender farm and wedding venue in Maine where they lived seasonally, but after selling the property they decided to relocate permanently to Alna, ME. While their girls are grown and off on their own, Michelle and Ed did have their two dogs (Abby and Mason) and three chickens that accompanied them in the move to their new home. Winters are spent with their dogs by their sides as they snowshoe along their property and summers bring grandkids swimming and playing in the water, and fresh-cut flowers from their gardens for Michelle’s floral work.

Amazingly, Ed was finishing a work project when they purchased their home — Michelle bought it without Ed ever seeing it in person. Being a seasoned pro, Michelle took a sledge hammer and started demo the day after they closed on the sale of the house. Their renovations took two months, and the cottage they had just sold had included all of their furnishings in the sale, meaning that the new home was a blank slate in every sense. The couple’s renovations on the 1,800-square-foot house helped to create a more open floor plan that makes it feel bigger than it is in reality. The home works for the couple’s careers as well, with Ed having a basement studio and Michelle having gardens and a screened-in porch that functions as a three-season floral design studio. Making a house a home is something Michelle and Ed are no strangers to, and this latest project of theirs is a testament to their deep understanding of that special skill. —Rebekah

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While restoration was definitely kept in mind, updates that would bring in more light were also prioritized. “When we demoed the wall to the right of the fireplace, I also removed the raised wood panel on the chimney and the mantel, and then whitewashed the bricks to lighten everything up a bit.”

“Coming from a history of living in much older homes with lower ceilings, we love how the vaulted ceilings in our living room help to make the room feel much bigger than it is,” Michelle shares. “A view of our living room and the stairs leading to the second floor.”

“Until November of this past year, we didn’t have a guest half bath on the first floor and guests were having to pass through our bedroom to use our bathroom,” Michelle explains, “so we repurposed half of our small mudroom to make a tiny powder room. “

A simple powder room gets special details in its update with wallpaper and bright paint. “It’s a tiny room, but the Rifle Paper Co. wallpaper for Hygge & West makes such a huge impact on the space — we love it!”

“Our last property was a lavender farm that we built from the ground up,” Michelle explains, “so to memorialize that time in our lives, we purchased this small painting from Jessie Mackay, a friend and artist from our hometown in North Carolina.”

“One of the guest bedrooms upstairs — the slope of the classic Cape roof makes it feel quite small,” Michelle admits, “but luckily the ceiling is vaulted which gives a little more headroom to our visiting family and friends.”

“When we bought the home, the bathroom had the most awkward layout in order to accommodate the laundry facilities — the small vanity was flanked on either side by the washer and the dryer,” Michelle explains. “We were able to keep the laundry facilities in the bathroom, but by stacking them, we opened up enough space for a double vanity.”

This home is stunning — one of my favorites in a long time! You’re right that this could easily pass for an historic home. It’s great inspiration for those of us looking for an older home in a market of 1980s+ houses.

It’s so refreshing to see a home refinished by some folks with some life experience. We don’t all live in uber-hip pre-war Brooklyn apartments (not that I wouldn’t love to!) I absolutely love the warmth and artistry in this house. It’s so personal and yet well styled. They are such a lovely couple, too! #goals! Please continue to showcase a greater variety of homes and homeowners – this is a great start!

I hear you- and we will. It’s a big goal of ours to show home owners who aren’t all 20/30-something and in huge metro areas. I know it’s been a missing spot in our coverage and we are working to remedy that. Thanks for your patience. :)

There’s no way I would have guessed this home was built in the 80s. I like how the owners mixed more “trendy” things from places like West Elm with unique pieces and original art. It’s such a nice balance, and feels like they just picked things they loved rather than trying to create a particular look. I love it all, and really enjoyed Michelle and Ed’s story!

Also love their home and how well suited the furnishings are to the gorgeous frame. How refreshing to have such stylish and cool people of their generation featured. It feels like we’ve been missing this perspective!

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